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Chapter 3: Problem 57

Why must a chemical equation be balanced? What law is obeyed by a balanced chemical equation?

Short Answer

Expert verified
A chemical equation must be balanced to reflect the nature of the reactions correctly and align with the Law of Conservation of Mass. This law, obeyed by balanced chemical equations, states that mass cannot be created or destroyed.

Step by step solution

01

Define a Balanced Chemical Equation

A balanced chemical equation is an expression used in chemistry that represents the reactants and products in a chemical reaction. Each side of the equation matches in terms of number of atoms for each element, respecting the conservation of mass.
02

Explain Why a Chemical Equation Must Be Balanced

Equations must be balanced to accurately reflect the law of conservation of mass. This law states that in a closed system, the amount of mass remains constant and cannot be created or destroyed. Therefore, for a chemical equation to be correct, the number of atoms for each element must be the same on both the reactant and product side to indicate no mass has been lost or gained during the reaction. In other words, the matter is neither created nor destroyed in a chemical reaction.
03

State the Law Obeyed by a Balanced Chemical Equation

A balanced chemical equation obeys the Law of Conservation of Mass. This law forms the fundamental base of chemical reactions. Unbalanced reactions disregard this law by presenting unequal amounts of atoms for an element in the reactants and products.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

What is the mass (in amu) of a carbon-12 atom? Why is the atomic mass of carbon listed as 12.01 amu in the table on the inside front cover of this book?

The atomic masses of \({ }_{3}^{6} \mathrm{Li}\) and \({ }_{3}^{7} \mathrm{Li}\) are \(6.0151 \mathrm{amu}\) and 7.0160 amu, respectively. Calculate the natural abundances of these two isotopes. The average atomic mass of Li is 6.941 amu.

For many years chloroform \(\left(\mathrm{CHCl}_{3}\right)\) was used as an inhalation anesthetic in spite of the fact that it is also a toxic substance that may cause severe liver, kidney, and heart damage. Calculate the percent composition by mass of this compound.

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Nitric oxide (NO) reacts with oxygen gas to form nitrogen dioxide \(\left(\mathrm{NO}_{2}\right),\) a dark-brown gas: $$ 2 \mathrm{NO}(g)+\mathrm{O}_{2}(g) \longrightarrow 2 \mathrm{NO}_{2}(g) $$ In one experiment 0.886 mole of \(\mathrm{NO}\) is mixed with 0.503 mole of \(\mathrm{O}_{2}\). Calculate which of the two reactants is the limiting reagent. Calculate also the number of moles of \(\mathrm{NO}_{2}\) produced.
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